Our pet care team all has experience in the animal care field through their own animals, shelter and rescue work, dog training, internships, 4H, and veterinary offices. We specialize in special needs animals who need daily medications - Sub Q fluids and insulin injections are common during our daily visits. Everyone is experienced in cat and dog behavior and training so your rambunctious kitty or overly enthusiastic dog is never an issue!
Kelsey Herrera
Hi, my name is Kelsey Herrera and I graduated in 2011 from UC Davis with a Bachelors Degree in Animal Science and a Specialization in Behavior. During my career at UC Davis, I made sure to take advantage of all the great opportunities and internships that were offered in the animal care and veterinary field. Although I found medicine interesting, I enjoyed animal behavior so much that I interned in the animal behavior department for 3 years developing experiments and studying animal behavior.
On the weekends I would volunteer in all the nearby clinics that shelters and rescues would organize. This included the fix our ferals clinics in both Fairfield and Oakland where I would monitor surgeries, vaccinate, deworm, and apply medication to feral (sleeping!) kitties. I would also volunteer at the Mercer clinic in Sacramento where we would provide food, bedding, and veterinary care to homeless animals.
The last year of my college career and post-graduation, I worked in a Sacramento Veterinary Hospital where I worked on my skills in animal care and behavior, medication and fluid administration, and recognizing and diagnosing common ailments seen in our companion animals. On off days from the clinic I would work as a sitter for a professional petsitting company in Davis, CA. I enjoyed working with the pet-sitting company so much I decided that this was the type of work I would like to become involved with full time. I truly enjoy being able to care for an animal in their home environment where they are comfortable and provide them with the care they need while their loved ones are away. I found this type of work so rewarding that I have decided to embark on my own career in home pet care.
On the weekends I would volunteer in all the nearby clinics that shelters and rescues would organize. This included the fix our ferals clinics in both Fairfield and Oakland where I would monitor surgeries, vaccinate, deworm, and apply medication to feral (sleeping!) kitties. I would also volunteer at the Mercer clinic in Sacramento where we would provide food, bedding, and veterinary care to homeless animals.
The last year of my college career and post-graduation, I worked in a Sacramento Veterinary Hospital where I worked on my skills in animal care and behavior, medication and fluid administration, and recognizing and diagnosing common ailments seen in our companion animals. On off days from the clinic I would work as a sitter for a professional petsitting company in Davis, CA. I enjoyed working with the pet-sitting company so much I decided that this was the type of work I would like to become involved with full time. I truly enjoy being able to care for an animal in their home environment where they are comfortable and provide them with the care they need while their loved ones are away. I found this type of work so rewarding that I have decided to embark on my own career in home pet care.
Side note: Kelsey is the owner and primary caregiver of the group. Kelsey is the one who communicates with clients before and after trips, sets up meet and greets, handles all invoicing and business concerns, etc. Outside of Kelsey, the rest of the team is solely responsible for providing one on one, in home care to your furry companion. Before hiring, everyone is extensively background checked, reference checked, and even DMV record checked. Upon hiring everyone is trained by Kelsey for a few weeks so they can become familiar with our company policies and meet many of our furry, feathery, and finned clients! Everyone also becomes CPR certified if they are not already. Our team is always in full communication with one another transferring updates and concerns and everyone has a written record and care instructions on everyone's critter/s (slowly going digital!). Since everyone works under the KCC company name, each staff member is bonded and insured. The KCC team shares care shifts with one another so no one works a 6 AM - 10 PM day (our approximate care hours).
Brian Herrera
Business partner to Kelsey and ball/Frisbee thrower extraordinaire, Brian is the professional dog wrestler, and cat cuddler of the group. He often visits the pups who need just a little extra retrieval/wrestling time or kitties who need to be cuddled and carried around their home! His pets are the same as Kelsey's - goofy little Ariea, herding extraordinaire Ian, and a sassy Calico named Sydney. Hailee Payne
Hailee is a current UC Davis student majoring in Animal Science with a specialization in Companion and Captive animals. Her interest in animals has been around from the moment she could physically pick up a kitty and she has since decided to dedicate her life to the study and care of companion animals. She has spent her life surrounded by animals and has owned and loved a variety of species ranging from goats to parakeets to dogs, cats, and small animals. In her hometown, she would spend her free time volunteering and assisting in rehoming abandoned and stray animals and ensuring they go to loving and experienced homes. Hailee even has experience in raising newborn puppies including bottle feeding and making sure they receive everything they need in their first 8 weeks of life. Hailee has developed many animal care skills through the raising of her own pets as well as through her volunteering experiences and is thrilled to take on the responsibility of ensuring that every pet that is left in KCC’s care is given the utmost attention and love. In her spare time she loves to return to her hometown and spend time with her three French bulldogs: Tank, Lily, and their son Archie.
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Rachelle Gagnon
Rachelle has been an animal person ever since she could pronounce the word “dog”. She has always been surrounded by animals and lived in a house full of fur (and feathered) babies. She was always the curious child who would spend her early mornings watching any and all Animal Planet shows. She started volunteering at a local equestrian center for senior horses in high school and fell in love with large animals. She grew up as the go to pet sitter for her friends and family and has cared for a variety of pets, ranging from bunnies to snakes. She is currently an active volunteer with the Yolo County Animals Services Shelter and helps care for the shelter’s dogs and cats, and even helps run offsite adoption events. She also volunteers as a foster during kitten season and helps hand raise orphan kittens. Being a possible pre-veterinary student, she has taken advantage of the great opportunities in Davis, gaining clinical experience through internships at both the shelter and the Teaching Hospital on campus. Rachelle has also worked as an intern at the UC Davis goat barn, helping bottle-raise dairy kids. She falls in love with any animal she cares for and is committed to the care of animals of every shape and size. Her wide experience caring for fur babies has equipped her with the patience and compassion that animals require when their parents leave them in KCC's care. Her companion animals include a German Shepherd/Husky mix, Sydney; a Spaniel/Corgi mix, Niall; three spoiled kitties, Rella, Cody, and Tigerlily; and a chatty cockatiel, Knocker; all whom live in her hometown.
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So now that you have seen our great team, you may still be wondering, what would be the benefit of hiring a pet care company with super star employees versus an individual sitter?
- Availability: A professional pet sitting business with employees will have greater availability and has a greater ability to accommodate last minute requests of already established clients.
- Back Up Plan: A pet sitter with employees has a backup plan if there is an emergency. If a personal emergency arises, another employee (who is trained by the company and has access to the specific routine of your pet and can call the office with questions) is able to fill in. There is no such thing as OUR pet care team cancelling on YOU!
- Liability Insurance: If your pet sitter has employees they will be covered under the pet sitters liability and bonding insurance which PROTECTS YOU if your pet is injured or if something is damaged in your home.
- Another set of “eyes and ears.” A second pet sitter visiting your home and pets may notice something the other pet sitter may not have. Pet siting employees communicate and work together to provide the optimal care for your pets.
- Experience: Each pet sitter brings a different set of experience & credentials; they can contact each other as well as pet sitting management/owner if they have a problem or question.
- Management: Pet Sitting employees allow the pet sitting business owner to manage the business. A pet sitter with employees has more time to answer and return emails, provide service for last minute requests & be on standby for assisting or back up to any of their employed pet sitters.
- Peace of Mind: When you hire a professional pet sitter with employees you have the peace of mind to enjoy your vacation or focus on your workday knowing that ALL bases are covered.
